Assault With Intent to Disrobe a Woman Under the BNS (Section 76): IPC 354B Mapping (2026)
What Section 76 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita covers, the punishment for assault or criminal force to a woman with intent to disrobe, and how it maps to IPC 354B. Last verified October 2026.
Explainer · New Criminal Code · BNS
Stripping a woman, or using force to try to strip her, is treated as a serious offence against the person in Indian criminal law, separate from outraging modesty or molestation. If a first information report or charge sheet mentions Section 76 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, this is the provision at work. This explainer sets out what Section 76 covers, what it carries, and how it maps to the old IPC Section 354B. Last verified October 2026.
- What it is: Section 76 BNS punishes assault or criminal force on a woman with intent to disrobe her.
- Punishment: imprisonment of 3 to 7 years and a fine. Abetment is punished the same way.
- Old law: replaced IPC Section 354B, with the substance carried over.
- Classification: cognizable, non-bailable, triable by a Court of Session.
01Section 76 in one answer
Section 76 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (BNS) punishes a person who assaults or uses criminal force on a woman, or abets such an act, with the intention of disrobing her or compelling her to be naked. The BNS came into force on 1 July 2024 and replaced the Indian Penal Code.
The punishment is imprisonment of not less than three years, which may extend to seven years, and a fine. This is the successor to IPC Section 354B.
Section 76 punishes assault or criminal force on a woman with intent to disrobe her. It carries three to seven years of imprisonment and a fine.
02What the offence covers
The offence has a clear core. It requires an assault or use of criminal force against a woman, and a specific intention behind it.
- The act: an assault or the use of criminal force on a woman.
- The intent: to disrobe her or compel her to be naked.
- Abetment is included: a person who abets such an act is punished in the same way.
The actual stripping does not have to succeed. The offence turns on the force used and the intention behind it, so an attempt that is resisted is still within the section.
Intent is the key element
The same push or grab could be a lesser offence without the intent to disrobe. The prosecution must show that the force was used with that specific purpose, which is usually proved from the surrounding conduct and the circumstances.
03Punishment and classification
The punishment under Section 76 is imprisonment of not less than three years, which may extend to seven years, together with a fine.
The three-year minimum means a conviction carries a real custodial sentence and is not open to a fine alone. The offence is cognizable and non-bailable, and it is triable by a Court of Session.
04How it maps to IPC 354B
Section 76 replaced IPC Section 354B. IPC 354B was inserted after the 2013 Criminal Law Amendment and punished the same conduct, with the same three-to-seven-year range and a fine.
The substance carried over almost unchanged. The elements, the sentence range, and the inclusion of abetment all remain. The language that identified the offender was modernised in the move to the BNS. For the full old-to-new table, see our IPC to BNS section mapping, and for the wider reform see the new criminal laws of 2024.
05How it sits beside nearby offences
Section 76 is one of a group of offences against women that sit close together, and charge sheets often cite more than one.
- Section 74 (outraging modesty, old IPC 354) covers assault or criminal force to outrage modesty generally.
- Section 75 (sexual harassment, old IPC 354A) covers unwelcome sexual advances and demands.
- Section 77 (voyeurism, old IPC 354C) covers watching or capturing a woman in a private act.
- Section 79 (word or gesture insulting modesty, old IPC 509) covers words, sounds, gestures, or objects meant to insult.
Section 76 is distinct because it targets the specific act of disrobing, which is why its minimum sentence is higher than the general outraging-modesty offence.
06Practical points
- Intent is proved from conduct. There is rarely direct proof of the aim to disrobe, so courts look at the whole incident.
- Date of the offence decides the code. The BNS applies to offences on or after 1 July 2024. Earlier cases stay under IPC 354B.
- Multiple charges are common. Section 76 is often read with the nearby offences above, so check the full set of sections in the FIR.
- The offence is non-bailable. Bail is at the court’s discretion rather than a matter of right.
07Where Claw fits
Claw is an all-in-one legaltech platform for Indian advocates, law firms, and corporate legal teams, combining AI-based case search, an AI legal assistant (Legal GPT), case management, and compliance automation across all Indian courts and tribunals.
Whether you are building or defending a Section 76 matter, the real work is finding how courts have read the intent-to-disrobe requirement and keeping up with the hearings. Claw helps with both. You can search more than 30 crore judgments for orders under Section 76 and the old IPC 354B and have them in under five seconds, with the Supreme Court covered from 1950 and the High Courts from 1990, and you can follow the cases, orders and hearings by party or advocate name across 9,102 courts, benches and forums. See how Claw handles case search across Indian courts.
Claw does not use your case documents to train its AI models, and it supports research and tracking rather than legal advice. Open a free Claw account to study the intent cases and follow your Section 76 matter by party or advocate name.
08Sources and further reading
- India Code (official text of the BNS): indiacode.nic.in
- Ministry of Home Affairs (new criminal laws): mha.gov.in
- BNS Section 76 text: devgan.in
- Claw: clawlaw.in
Section numbers and punishments were checked against the published BNS text in October 2026. Always read the section as it stands on the day you act.
09Frequently asked questions
What is Section 76 of the BNS?
It punishes a person who assaults or uses criminal force on a woman, or abets such an act, intending to disrobe her or compel her to be naked. It carries imprisonment of three to seven years and a fine.
Which IPC section did BNS Section 76 replace?
It replaced IPC Section 354B, which was inserted after the 2013 Criminal Law Amendment. The elements, the three-to-seven-year range, and the fine all carried over.
Does the stripping have to succeed for Section 76 to apply?
No. The offence turns on the assault or criminal force and the intention to disrobe. An attempt that is resisted is still within the section, because the intent and the force are what the law targets.
Is Section 76 bailable?
No. The offence is cognizable and non-bailable, and it is triable by a Court of Session. Bail is at the court’s discretion. Confirm the classification against the BNSS First Schedule for your facts.
How is Section 76 different from outraging modesty?
Outraging modesty under Section 74 is the general offence of assault or criminal force to outrage a woman’s modesty. Section 76 is the specific offence of using that force with the intention to disrobe, which is why its minimum sentence is higher.
Can I search and track Section 76 cases in Claw?
Yes. Claw lets you search more than 30 crore judgments for orders under Section 76 and the old IPC 354B in under five seconds, and track cases, orders and hearings by party or advocate name across 9,102 courts, benches and forums. Open a free Claw account to search and track these cases.